Apparatus for changing direct electric currents into interrupted alternating currents.



- A. C. HEINY- MPARATUS FOR CHANGING DIRECT ELECTR APPLICATION I'ILEO JAN. 8. "I9. RENEWED Ill. 2. I917. 1,242,549. Patentad 001. 9.1917.

I6 CUIIIIEIII'S III'I'O IIITERRUPTED ALTEBIIATING CUIIIIEIITS.

A. C. HEINY.

APPARATUS FOR CHANGING DIRECT ELECTRIC CURRENTS INTO INTERRLIPTED ALTERNATING CURRENTS.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. 8, I910. RENEWED MAR. 2. 9|!- 1,242,549. Patented Oct. 9.1917.

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A. C. HEINY.

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v ////A/ N APPARATUS FOR CHANGING DIRECT ELECTRIC CURRENTS INTO INTEHRUPTED ALTERNATING CURRENTS.

A. C. HEINY.

APPARATUS FOR CHANGING DIRECT ELECTRIC CURRENTS INTO INTERRUPTED ALTERNATING CURRENTS.

APPLICATION FILED m4. 8. I910. RENEWED MAR. 2. 9n.

1,242,549. Patergt fi ggg 1 m. K\\\\\\\\\\\ \X N .i\\ Y wbhwmo N U A. C HEINY.

APPARATUS FOR CHANGING DIRECT ELECTRIC CURRENTS INTO INTERRUPTED ALTERNATING CURRENTS.

APPLICATION FHlED JAN. 8. 2910- RENEWEDT.1AR.2.I917. 1,242,549. Patented Oct. 9,1917

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

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APPARATUS FOR CHANGING DIRECT ELECTRIC CURBENTS INTO INTEBBUPTED ALTER NATING CUBBENTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 9, 1917.

Application Med January 8, 1910, Serial No. 586,998. Renewed March; 2, 1917. Serial No. 152,154.,

a system, and apparatus by which the system ma be put into operation, for converting a (irect or continuous electric current obtained from any suitable source into an interrupted current, the eriods of rest or no flow, following perio s of flow or current movement, being of a duration ap roxi mating the duration of the periods 0 flow, preferabl not less than one-half and not greater t an one and one-half that of the duration of the eriods of .current movement or flow; and the direction of the flow of current in succeeding periods of movement' thereof bein reversed. The interrupted current of t e character stated may be used for electriclig'hting, for transmission of power, or in the primary of stepup transformers or step-down transformers, etc.

As the principle of my invention may be carried out in many ways it is only necessary for an understanding of the same to describe it in connection with one type ofcircuit of the secondary coil of the transformer is an "interru ted'and alternating current, but one in w ich the voltage does not materi2llyrise and fall or'undulate and which is 0 higher tension than the current in the primary coil;

In the ae'comfpanying drawings the theory or principleo the invention is illustrated by diagrammatic views; and there is also illustrated a form of apparatus embodying features of the invention, adapted to. be used in carrying out the process.

Referring to such figures Figures and 2 are diagrammatic views illustrating one method or process of changing or, converting a direct electric current into one of interrupted alternating character embodying my invention, the views illustrating the parts of the apparatus in different positions.

Figs. 3 and 4 are diagrams illustrating, in different positions, another method of carrying out my invention.

Fig. 5 is a view partly in vertical section and partly in end elevation illustrating an interrupter embodying features of my invention.

Fig. 6 is a central longitudinal vertical section ofthe apparatus shown in Fig. 5.

the movable part of theinterrupter.

Fi 11 is a sectional view on the line XI, I of Fig. 10.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, A represents a direct current nerator which may be of any usual or pre erred character, and from which lead the supply conductors or mains a, a. B indicates an in terupter of any suitable character connected across the, mains c, a. .In the form of invention illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 the interrupter is represented as bein provided with conducting contacts b, b arranged in two sets alternating with each other, the contacts of each set being electrically united. Brushes or contact pieces 0, 0' connected respectively with the mains a,ia' engage with the contact pieces of the interrupter as the latter is revolved.

D indicates a step-up transformer, the gimary coil d of which is in a branch line extending from the interrupter, "while the secondary coil d is in the line F'over which aring coil of the transformer is directly connected, through the interrupter with the main circuit a, a. The wiring of the interru ter and the connections of the circuit E t erewith are such (though both thesaid wiring and connections may be varied, as will be explained) that whenever the interrupter is driven, turning for instance in the direction indicated by the arrow, the current through the coil at will be interrupted, with a frequency dependent u on the speed of the interrupter, and the irection of the current, in passing throng the coil will, between each interruption, be reversed. In practice the interrupter is driven at such speed that the circuit is broken and the flow of current interrupted with a frequency dependent upon the use to which the interrupted current being produced is put, and which may be from a ew thousand to over twenty thousand interru tions per minute. This interrupted and a ternatmg current in passing through the primary coil of the transformer induces in the secondary coil, and in the circuit F of which it is a part, a current also interrupted, that is, with periods of rest :or no flow between the periods of current flow or movement, and with the current alternately reversed in direction after each interruption, the potential of the current in the circuitF being greater than that in the circuit of which the primary coil is an element.

The contacts I) are united by a conductor f which may be a collecti ring with which engages a brush g carrie by the branch e of the; circuit E leading to one end of the rimary coil of the transformer. The

ranch e leadin fromthe other end of the coil enga by brush or collector g, with constituting-the conductor that unites t e series of contacts b.

I designates a condenser interposed between one of the mains of the circuit from the generator and a branch of the shunt circuit E in which is situated the primary coild. The condenser operates to prevent undesirable s arking as the circuit is suc= cessively bro on by the movements of the interru tor. r v

The rushes 0, Ov are arranged to ena simultaneously with contacts b, b

e waging-respectively to the two sets of contacts already described, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2. When themoving element of the interrupter occupies a, position intermediate between that illustrated in these two views the brushes 0 simultaneously ongage with insulating portions of the interrupter'or areout o engagement with any conductmgpart of the apparatus.

. The parts being in he posit1on-'ndicated m Fig. 1 the current passes erator along the main a to the contact the interrupter, thence to the The primary nected, and by the wire 0 sistance from' the ncollecting ring' insane f, with whichthe brush or collector g is conto the primary coil of the transformer. From the coil the current returnsby the wire a to the ring f of the interrupter, thence to the contact with which the brush C of'the main a is in engagement and by the main back to the nerator. The moving element of the interru ter, turning in the direction indicated y the arrow, carri the contacts theraof out of engagement with the brushes C, and the current is momentarily interrupted, to be followed b a reiSstabliShment of the current upon t e iarts assuming the position indicated in iga 2[ By tracing t e circuit followed by the current, as indicated by the arrows, it will be seen that while its direction through the main circuit is uniform or constant, it travels, in the shunt circuit E, and hence throu h the coil d, in a direction opposite to t at it followed when the parts were arranged as shown in Fig. 1.

Referrin now to Figs. 3 and 4, it will be seen that al of the contacts b" carried by the moving element of the interrupter are connected with a ring or collecting co ductor f" with which one of the wires, 6 of the circuit that includes the primary coil of the transformer, has electrical connection as b means of a brush or collector g. The brus es, C, C, are so disposed that they cannot both engage simultaneousl. with contacts I)". They shall, however, oth be in engagement with an insulating part of the interru ter simultaneously for a moment of time a r each has successively passed from engagement with a contact b".

he wire a of the circuit E does not, as in the arrangement first described, connect with the interrupter, but instead is connected with both mains a, a of the circuit, by branches, designate h, and h', respectively. In these branches are arran ed resistances H, H. The resistance to te flow of the current ofiered by either resistance, H or H, is much ater than that the coil d, so t at while the two mains a,-a are always directly united the current will not take e path just indicated owing to its having to pass both resistances in so doing, so on as it can find a path through the coil 11 o the transformer.

The parts being in the sented in Fig. 3 the circuit ollowed by the current may be traced as follows: from the glinerator b the main a to the interrupter,

once by t e 'wire e of the circuit E to the primary coil ofthe transformer whence it passes out by the wire a, through the re- HT and wire it to the main a", and. b this, back to the generator. The movable element of the interrupter turning in the direction indicated by t e arrow causes offered by osition repre an interruption of the current in moving from the position indicated in Fig. 3 to that indicated in Fig. 4. When the arts arrive at the position indicated in the atter view the circuit taken by the current may be traced as followsrfrom the main a over the wire It, through the resistance H, and by wire e to the primary coil of the trans former, whence it asses. by the wire 0 to the collectin ring of the interrupter, and thence, by t e contact 6" and brush C, to the other main a.

From these two illustrations of the process it will be seen that while the current in the main line 0:, a remains continuous or of one direction that passing through the primary coil 0 the interrupter is repeatedly reversed, as Well as interru ted.

In Figs. 5 to 11 of the drawings have illustrated the form of interrupter which I prefer to em loy in carrying out the process already escribed, and which embodies features of my invention. It is represented as being mounted in a case 2 which should be liquid tight so as to contain oil when it is desired to mount the interrupter in such liquid in order to prevent sparking. The case may be provided with a cover 3. An insulating base or support 4 is arranged within the case and from it rise pedestals 5, in which is mounted the shaft 6 of the rotary element B of the interrupter. The shaft at one end extends out through the wall of the casing so thatit may be driven from any suitable source of power. Mounted upon the shaft and turning therewith, is a disk 7 comprising a air of metallic conducting members, one of trated in detail in Figs. 8 and 9. Each of these metallic partsconsists of a central hub constituting a collectin ring f and a series of arms 9, radiating win one end of the hub, the ends. of the arms bein shaped as indicated to constitute the con ucting contacts b of the disk 7. A pair of these metallic pieces is supported upon the shaft, they being held apart by insulating pieces like that represented in 10 and 11, each consisting of ahub 11 tting the shaft and a set of radiating segments 12 carried thereby.

13, 13 are insulatin pieces inter osed between the shaft 6 an the'hubs o the conducting elements of the rotati member of the interrupter, being inserte into the outer ends of the hubs as represented in Fi 6. The inner end of each metallic hu that end from which extend the radiating arms 9--is mounted upon the hub 11 of one of the insulating disks, and the arms 9 lie in the slots 31 separating the segments 12. The two insulating disks come together face to face, the segments 12 of one disk overlying the slots 31 of the other. In the ends of the segments there are formed which is illusone of the brushes g from t notches or recesses 14 in which lie the ends I) of the radiating arms of the conducting pieces. I

The parts of the rotating element of the interrupter when assembled as described, form a commutator comprising a disk having two sets of peripheral contacts I) alternating with each other connected with collecting rings f arranged at 0 posite faces of the disk.

.Ugonxthese hubs or collecting rings, f, bear brushes constitutin the terminals of the wires of the circuit ls in which is included the primary coil of the transformer. These brushes may be of any suitable style and construction and need not be described in detail.

C, C indicate the brushes that bear upon the peripher of the disk 7 of the interrupter, they sing connected with the wires or mains a, a receiving direct current from the enerator. While these brushes may be 0 any usual or approved construction, I prefer that they should be formed as shown and each constitute one pole of a magnet 17 employed to blow out or dissipate the sparks produced at the periphery of the commutator disk. These magnets are energized by current derived from any suitable source and are formed with stationary poles 18 arranged adjacent to the periphery of the disk 7 .and to the contact ends of the other poles, constituting the contact brushes C, C. The latter are ivotally supported and held against the ace of the disk by springs 19.

The form of apparatus illustrated in Figs. 5, 6 and 7 is adapted to car .out the particular method of operation ilust'rated in Figs. 1 and 2.,

It may be easily adapted for use in connection with the method illustrated in Figs. 3 and'4. If the apparatus illustrated were so used without any change whatever, it would only be necessa to disconnect e circuit E and to connect u the wire thus disconnected with the con uctors h, It including the resistances H, H, as indicated in Fi 3 and 4. If the apparatus illustrated 1n detail were used in this method of operation, it would be better if all the contacts I; were connected with one collecting ring f, as diagrammatically-illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4.

Theiirst method of carrying out the invention, that illustrated in Flgs. 1 and 2, is the one preferably used when the cost of current is an item of considerable im ort'ance; wheneas the second method, i ustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, is to be preferred where the cost of current is of little or no ob'ect. A in, the first method is prefer ab y used or purposes of transforming currents of large volume by the use of a closed core transformer, while the second has adand respectively vantalges for use in transforming currents of re atively small volume into very high potential currents by the use of trans-' formers with open cores such as the Ruhmkorif coil t pe.

What I c aim is 1. In apparatus for converting a direct electric current into an alternating current of diflerent potential, the combination of a direct current generator, an interrupter for breaking the current of great frequency, having means arran I to cause the interruptions to approximate 1n duration the periods of current flow and at the same time cause the reversal of the direction of the current with each interruption and a transformer, the primary of which is connected with andtakes current from the said interrupter.

2. In apparatus for converting a direct electric current into an interrupted current, the combination of a direct current generator, a closed circuit of relatively high resistance connected with the opposite poles of the generator, a shunt circuit of less resistance than the said closed circuit, including the coil of a transformer, and an interrupter in the said shunt circuit.

3. In apparatus for converting a direct electric current into an alternating current,"

the combination of a direct current generator, a closed circuit of relatively-high resistance connected with the opposite poles of the said generator, a shunt circuit of less resistance than the closed circuit, including the primary coil of a interrupter in the said shunt circuit arranged to break the electric current with great frequency and to reverse the direction of the current'flow throughthe shunt circuit with each break'thereof.

4. An apparatus for converting a direct electric current to an alternating one of different...potential comprising a circuit to which the direct current is supplied, a branch circuit in which is included artificial resistance, for closing the said direct current circuit, a shunt circuit including a coil of a transformer connected with the said branch circuit at a point dividing the resistance therein so the a part of the resistance is on each side of he connection, the resistthe generator with v the primary said shunt circuit,

transformer, and an ance of the parts of the branch circuit on each side of the connection with the shunt circuit being greater than the resistance of the said coil of the transformer, and an interrupter between the two mains of the direct current circuit and to which one branch of the shunt circuit is connected arranged to divert the current from the main circuit to the shunt circuit in an interrupted manner and to reverse the direction 0 the current in said circuit with each interruption.

5. An apparatus for converting a direct electric current to an alternating one of different potential, comprising a main circuit to which the direct current is supplied, a branch circuit in which are included artificial resistances, uniting the conductors of the main circuit, a shunt circuit including coil of a transformer connected with the branch circuit between the said resistances, the resistance of the said coil of the transformer to the flow of current being much less than that of either resistance'in the said branch circuit and an interrupter having, separated insulated contacts with which brushes connected respectively with the conductors of the main circuit successively engage, the said contacts of the interrupter being electrically connected with the the interrupter being arranged to direct the current from the main line throu h the shunt line in successively opposite irections, and also to interrupt the flow of the current between each change in its direction.

6. An interrupter for use in apparatus for converting electricit comprising a rotary element, consisting o a shaft and a disk carried by the shaft and formed of an insulating piece having a hub supported by the shaft and segments radiating from the said hub, and a conducting piece supported by said insulatin piece and havin a hub constituting a co lecting ring an a series of radiating arms 1 ingiin the spaces between the segments of t c said insulating iece and extending to the periphery of the atter.

ANATOLE C. HEINY.

Witnesses:

M. Gamma, J AMES McBmox. 

